A new report published by mobile learning platform TalentCards report examined the state of training for deskless workers, a group that makes up a staggering 80% of the global workforce, who have proven to be essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Surveyed amid the pandemic, frontline and deskless employees (such as nurses, teachers, salespeople, construction workers, truck drivers, etc.) stated that they wouldn’t switch to a desk job given the opportunity.

According to the report, 64% stated that they would not give up their current positions as frontline workers in exchange for a desk job, even if they were given the same pay and benefits.

The report surveyed frontline workers from Australia, the US, Canada, and the UK, and revealed that the majority of respondents have received COVID-19-related training. A deeper look at individual industries shows that healthcare and retail employers have offered the highest rates of COVID-19-related training, with 82% and 76% of employees, respectively, reporting having received it. While, surprisingly, education landed at the bottom, with only one in two employees in the sector (52%) reporting having received COVID-19-related training.

Deskless employees report that training in general makes them feel more connected and secure in their jobs. Sixty-three percent of frontline workers said that access to additional training would help them feel more connected to their organisations’ values and mission. More than half (56%) believe that additional training would improve their chances of surviving in a job market that is continuously changing due to advancements in technology.

“Deskless employees report that training in general makes them feel more connected and secure in their jobs.”

“The reality is that the majority of training software has been developed to suit just a portion of the global workforce — meaning the people who do their jobs from behind a desk, and not those who don’t,” said Thanos Papangelis, CEO and Founder of TalentCards. “Our findings show that, if businesses intend to increase the effectiveness of their training initiatives to support and engage their deskless workers, mobile training has to become a standard practice, and not the exception.”

Moreover, the TalentCards report confirms the reality of the forgetting curve, with 1 out of 3 deskless workers stating that they have forgotten most of the training provided by their employers 30 days after completing it.

The survey also explored how deskless workers feel about the frequency of training, with 80% reporting that they prefer short training sessions regularly, over long, one-time training events.

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Sydney, 18 June 2020: Research from Humanforce, a Sydney based global provider of workforce management solutions, has found that nearly one-third of Australia’s casual workers have reported feeling lonely in the workplace, leading to lower employee engagement, and lasting customer experience consequences.

More than 60% of casual workers surveyed said loneliness at work stemmed from the fact that they worked solo or with few colleagues, while 43% also said non-traditional work hours leads to less social interactions with others outside of work hours and 36% said there were limited interactions with management and the company.

“With many of us having been asked to work from home full-time due to COVID-19, worker loneliness has become a big challenge for almost all types of workers,” said Bruce Mackenzie, Managing Director and Founder, Humanforce. “However, this is not a new issue for the 25% of casual workers that make up Australia’s casual workforce. Casual workers have always been more likely to work alone or with a small number of colleagues who frequently change, and on an unfixed and non-traditional schedule, which means they are at higher risk of loneliness.”

Survey respondents said the flow on effect of loneliness was that 57% of casual workers had reduced motivation at work, 53% experienced lower job satisfaction and 41% faced mental health issues.

“Our research shows that lonely casual workers face a range of challenges that undermine their ability to be fully engaged in their roles at work,” added Bruce. “Worker engagement is crucial to delivering the best customer experiences. And with those in the retail and hospitality industries currently facing an incredibly challenging business environment, customer experience is of the utmost importance in achieving ongoing sales and consumer loyalty.”

More than half of casual workers surveyed said loneliness could be reduced through regular communication with casual workers from managers and the company, while an additional 40% said a casual worker reward program that recognises and values the work of casual employees and 39% said giving casual workers more control of the days/hours/shifts they work, would help.

“More than half of casual workers surveyed said loneliness could be reduced through regular communication with casual workers from managers and the company.”

“To avoid loneliness and a lack of engagement, casual workers clearly need a higher level of communication, to receive more recognition and to be able to take control of their work days and shifts,” said Bruce. “Unlike full-time employees, the issue of worker loneliness won’t disappear for casual workers when COVID-19 restrictions are eased. Therefore, casual worker employers must develop long-term approaches to helping keep employees connected, valued and motivated at work, in order to achieve the best results for the businesses now and into the future.”

Advanced digital workplace engagement solutions are available that help employers leverage apps and digital tools that streamline two-way communication with casual workers and allow employees to take charge of selecting and changing their shifts, as well as rate their shifts so managers can monitor worker wellbeing.

Humanforce is a global provider of workforce management solutions for companies who need flexibility to manage complex workforces. Companies use Humanforce to manage everything from time and attendance, employee rostering, onboarding and availability. Humanforce has strong partnerships with industry leading payroll providers, with over 100 integrations and enable customer employees in over 9000 locations globally.

Humanforce was founded in Sydney in 2002, and today has offices across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. For more information: www.humanforce.com

The post New survey data reveals 1 in 3 Australian casual workers are lonely appeared first on Recruitment Marketing.

“Brand is so much more than people understand. I looked at my team members and even the most junior members were acting at the level of that brand,” says Watts. “How are you writing your recruitment ads? How do you run your campaigns in a way that reflects your story?”

Watts shares why your brand needs to be incorporated throughout the entire recruitment lifecycle, from the way you advertise, interview, onboard, even until your people become alumni and are no longer working for your organisation. (This lifecycle even includes how your employment contract has been written and how you conduct your performance reviews!)

Without integrated communication between your marketing and HR department, your marketing team may publish promises that are disconnected from peoples’ experiences when they make contact with your brand.

Watts even recommends HR and marketing teams work together to amend phone scripts so your brand presence rings true from the get-go when people first speak to you.

If your teams aren’t integrated, all the hard work you have done articulating your brand message may become redundant in a few months. The HR element is a crucial part of your brand.  

“Collaboration is about how two skills can come together to achieve a clients’ ultimate purpose.”

We love this philosophy! Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.

Source

Why marketing and HR need to work together

Sel Watts

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